Big Brothers - Two
by CBloom2
Summary: Spoilers for The Bitter End - Big brothers can help even when they are not still around. Not a brilliant summary but please give it a go - it will ease the pain of the end of the episode...sob sob.


**So I'm jumping on 'The Bitter End' wagon train. Watched this amazing episode twice and Jamie and Vinny still break my heart - so this story contains spoilers for the episode. I don't know whats going to happen in the finale but I was thinking that there was just no way that Jamie could cope alone with everything that had happened - so he looks for comfort from an unexpected source (or maybe not).**

**Wasn't sure whether to post this or not because there are so many fantastic fics for this episode and I'm sure mine won't stand up to them. I have also written another one shot so I decided to post them and see what you think. **

**Blue Bloods reviewers are the best. I always seem to get the most reviews when I post on here so I will say a big thank you in advance.**

**Don't own any characters that you know. If I did, Vinny wouldn't be dead and we would have seen a lot more Vinny and Jamie this season.**

**Big Brothers - Two**

The icy drizzle of the late November day soaked into the lonely figure stood by a gravestone in the to frequently visited cemetery. Officer Jamie Reagan cut a sad figure, his shoulders hunched against the cold - and not just the cold on the outside. How could life have changed so much in such a short time?

It was hard enough remembering the desperation that had flooded into Noni's eyes right before she jumped to her death, taking her infant son with her - but now he had to deal with the fact that his partner, Vinny Cruz, was dead. His wise cracking - lady flirting - would never lie to his mother partner was gone - cut down in a hail of bullets in cold blood. "I don't know what to do Joe," Jamie directed his statement at the gravestone in front of him, "You always had all the answers...what am I supposed to do?"

Detective Danny Reagan had just been ordered to go home, after almost 24 hours on duty. He'd been investigating the suicide of Noni as well as the ongoing problems that the Los Lordes gang were bringing to the housing project. He had been itching to get off duty ever since he'd heard about his brothers partner being shot and killed in an apparent ambush. Unfortunately, Danny had been in Jamie's position before, so he had some idea of what his brother was going through. He was also acutely aware that Jamie had suffered through a double trauma, having witnessed the suicide of Noni as well as the death of his partner, so he was concerned about how his little brother might be coping. A phone call to his father and grandfather confirmed that they hadn't seen Jamie since the suicide, causing Danny's concern to crank up another notch. Where could he be? He knew that he was reeling from the recent events, but he wouldn't cut himself off from his family...

Danny peeled away from the Precinct, now having a good idea where to find his brother.

He arrived at his destination in record time - a sigh of relief escaping his lips upon seeing the person that he had been looking for, stood exactly where he had expected him to be. Joe had always been the 'go to' guy when he was alive, for all of them, but especially for Jamie. He had tried to fill that hole in Jamie's life, but hadn't quite managed it yet - a work in progress.

At times, Danny would hesitate to get into a 'touch feely' conversation with anyone - he was just not good at them, but today, seeing his youngest sibling hurting like this, he knew it was time to step up and be the brother he needed. He pulled up the collar of his coat - put on his hat and made his way to the lonely figure, cursing quietly when he saw Jamie soaked to the skin.

"I don't know what to do Joe. You always had all the answers...what am I supposed to do?" Came Jamie's heartfelt plea.

Danny actually felt his heart almost break in two right there for his brother. Danny knew that Jamie had grown so much as a cop and as a human being over the last few years, but at that moment, if Danny had closed his eyes, he could have sworn that Jamie was a child again. He took a deep breath, trying to reign in his own emotions and strode towards Jamie, "Hey Danny - you found me."

Danny was surprised, but proud that although Jamie was struggling, he was still attuned to what was happening around him.

"Hey kid," he patted his back gently, " Dumb question of the day, but how are you doing?"

Danny smiled when he heard a small chuckle at his question, "Like before, I'm as ok as I can be..."

Danny turned to get a proper look at his younger brother, not surprised to see him soaking wet, but he was surprised to see him looking so pale and ill, "Are you ok kid? As in are you hurt coz I got to tell you, you look awful!"

"I got shot," Jamie said without emotion,

Danny felt his stomach twist, he hadn't heard this, "What?"

"When the shooting started - I got shot first, in the shoulder...I dived behind a wall and when I turned round...Vinny...in the throat man..." his voice hitched as he took in deep breaths to control his emotions, "I got him out of there..."

"Under fire?" Danny interrupted, trying to build up a picture in his mind of what his brother had had to endure.

Jamie nodded, "I got a few shots off, then got Vinny...God Danny, the blood...I told him to hang on..." Jamie turned to face Danny, scrubbing the tears from his face that had fallen without hus permission. Danny reaced out a hand to stop him, keeping his hand there as a connection to his distressed sibling, "He wouldn't hang on Danny - why wouldn't he hang on?"

Danny took a step closer as he put an arm around Jamie, only now noticing how he held his right arm stiffly to his side.

Although Danny hated seeing his little brother so upset and hurting, he couldn't help but say a silent prayer of thanks that he wasn't stood next to a second grave for a Reagan brother.

"He was a great cop Danny," Jamie continued, finally allowing his body to relax in his brothers embrace.

"You'd built up a good partnership kid - everyone could see that," Danny remarked.

"Didn't like him at first. To cocky - always flirting...and I mean **always," **he chuckled as he remembered the numerous guided tours they had given to attractive tourists, "But he was a good man. He was there for me when I shot that guy...we had each others backs you know? Except...I didn't have his when it mattered," Jamie muttered as he tried to pull himself out of Danny's , Danny was having none of that, "Look Jamie, I know you're not hearing so good right now, but listen to me, you above most other cops I know, had your partners back. That's just who you are. One thing you never stop to think about, although as your brother I sometimes wish you would, is getting yourself out of the firing line over making sure other people are safe. You saw that Vinny had a life threatening injury - you knew that - you were hurt, but safe, but you made sure you got him out of there because there might have been a slim chance that he might be saved. If that's not having his back, then I don't know what is...Jamie?"

Danny stopped talking because Jamie had turned away from him, obviously not wanting his older brother to see him break down.

Danny walked round to face him, this time not surprised to see tears coursing down the pale cheeks, "Come here," he whispered as he took the younger man into a full embrace. His arms encircling the trembling man, "Let it out Jamie, let it out," he encouraged.

He tightened his hold on his brother as the final tendrils of adrenaline that had been keeping the younger man going, dissipated, leaving Jamie feeling tired and weak as the pain from his shoulder hit him once again, full force.

Danny had no idea how long they stood there, clinging to each other - each lost in their own thoughts.

Suddenly Danny realised that the drizzle had stopped and a sliver of sunlight broke through the grey clouds. Danny looked towards the rays of light and couldn't help the gasp of surprise that left his lips, "Kid, you gotta see this..."

He let go of Jamie who slowly turned round, a gasp of surprise escaping his own lips.

The few rays of sunlight that had made their appearance bathed Joe's headstone in light and warmth, as if he was smiling down on them.

Jamie turned to his big brother, "He always did have the final word!"

Danny laughed, "He sure did! Come on, let's get home - we need putting out to dry."

It was only then that Jamie realised just how wet he was, "Thanks Danny," he smiled.

Danny flung an arm around him again, "Anytime kid - you remember that!"

**So that's it. Bit cheesy at the end? Just wanted to get Joe involved in the healing process. Hope it was ok.**

**I've also done a one shot with Jamie trying to cope with Vinny's funeral - but think I will see how this one goes first.**

**Thanks for reading.**


End file.
